Automatic transmission with a positive-displacement pump

Abstract

An automatic transmission, in particular an infinitely variable automatic transmission for motor vehicles, contains a radial piston pump (1) for supplying a hydrodynamic converter (3), a lubricating device and control and actuating devices of the automatic transmission via a number of control conduits. Radially outside of its outlet valves, the radial piston pump (1) contains an annular chamber (22), which extends around the radial piston pump (1). The annular chamber (22) is embodied as a damping chamber and is mainly arranged in a recess (23) of the converter housing (2), and therefore almost completely outside of the pump housing (17). The annular chamber (22) is bordered by the recess (23) of the converter housing (2), the pump housing (17) and/or a separate pump cover (24). The annular chamber (22) is not symmetric and with its volume extends into the adjoining free spaces of the automatic transmission.

We claim: 
     
       1. An infinitely variable automatic transmission for motor vehicles comprising a positive displacement pump for supplying a hydrodynamic converter provided with a converter housing, a lubricating device and from control and actuating devices of the automatic transmission, a number of control conduits, wherein the positive displacement pump has a collecting chamber located radially outside a number of outlet valves, which collecting chamber is an annular chamber and extends around the positive displacement pump;   wherein the annular chamber which is used as damping chamber is arranged between a pump housing and the converter housing of the converter,   the improvement comprising that the annular chamber is essentially arranged in a recess of the converter housing and therefore lies essentially outside of the pump housing, and that the annular chamber is limited in size in the axial direction by the converter housing and/or the pump cover.   
     
     
       2. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 1, wherein the positive displacement pump is a radial piston pump. 
     
     
       3. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 2, wherein the annular chamber is only bordered by the pump housing and the converter housing. 
     
     
       4. An infinitely variable automatic transmission for motor vehicles, comprising a positive displacement pump for supplying a hydrodynamic converter provided with a converter housing, a lubricating device and from control and actuating devices of the automatic transmission, a number of control conduits, wherein the positive displacement pump has a collecting chamber located radially outside a number of outlet valves, which collecting chamber is designed as an annular chamber and extends around the positive displacement pump;   wherein the annular chamber, used as a damping chamber, is arranged between a pump housing and the converter housing of the converter,   the improvement comprising that the annular chamber is essentially arranged in a recess of a pump cover, which adjoins the pump housing and is only bordered by the pump housing and the pump cover.   
     
     
       5. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 4 wherein the annular chamber is bordered by recesses of the converter housing, of the pump housing and/or of a separate pump cover. 
     
     
       6. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 5, wherein the annular chamber includes a radially exterior boundary wall and axial boundary walls and the radially extending boundary wall and the axial boundary walls of the annular chamber are formed by the converter housing and the pump cover. 
     
     
       7. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 1 wherein the annular chamber has a shape other than a circular ring shape. 
     
     
       8. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 7, wherein the annular chamber has a circumference and on its circumference the annular chamber (22) has widenings and reductions in its cross section. 
     
     
       9. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 8, wherein the reductions of the cross section of the annular chamber lie in the area of the peripheral units or conduit passages arranged next to the annular chamber. 
     
     
       10. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 6, wherein the pump cover has an axial, essentially cylindrical extension having a free end, which faces away from the pump housing and with which, a part of a clutch or a brake of the automatic transmission is connected. 
     
     
       11. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 1 wherein the annular chamber is sealed on the one side between the converter housing and the pump housing by means of an O-ring seal which lies in a radially open annular groove of the converter housing or of the pump housing, and on another side by a gasket between the pump housing and the pump cover. 
     
     
       12. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 4 wherein the annular chamber has a shape other than a circular ring shape. 
     
     
       13. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 12, wherein the annular chamber has a circumference and on its circumference the annular chamber has widenings and reductions in its cross section. 
     
     
       14. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 13, wherein the reductions of the cross section of the annular chamber lie in the area of peripheral units or conduit passages arranged next to the annular chamber. 
     
     
       15. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 4 wherein the annular chamber is sealed on one side between the converter housing and the pump housing by means of an O-ring seal which lies in a radially open annular groove of the converter housing or of the pump housing, and on another side by a gasket between the pump housing and the pump cover. 
     
     
       16. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 7 wherein the annular chamber is sealed on one side between the converter housing and the pump housing by means of an O-ring seal which lies in a radially open annular groove of the converter housing or of the pump housing, and on another side by a gasket between the pump housing and the pump cover. 
     
     
       17. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 9 wherein the annular chamber is sealed on one side between the converter housing and the pump housing by means of an O-ring seal which lies in a radially open annular groove of the converter housing or of the pump housing, and on another side by a gasket between the pump housing and the pump cover. 
     
     
       18. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 10 wherein the annular chamber is sealed on one side between the converter housing and the pump housing by means of an O-ring seal which lies in a radially open annular groove of the converter housing or of the pump housing, and on another side by a gasket between the pump housing and the pump cover. 
     
     
       19. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 12 wherein the annular chamber is sealed on one side between the converter housing and the pump housing by means of an O-ring seal which lies in a radially open annular groove of the converter housing or of the pump housing, and on another side by a gasket between the pump housing and the pump cover. 
     
     
       20. The automatic transmission in accordance with claim 14 wherein the annular chamber is sealed on one side between the converter housing and the pump housing by means of an O-ring seal which lies in a radially open annular groove of the converter housing or of the pump housing, and on another side by a gasket between the pump housing and the pump cover.